Children's home run by Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report children’s home: 2745618 1 Registered provider: Walsall Metropolitan Borough council

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in December 2023 and is operated by a local authority. It provides care for up to two children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The registered manager is suitably qualified and has been in post since the home registered.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2745618 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. Since the previous inspection, three children have moved out. Moves in and out of the home are well planned. Staff take time to seek and understand children’s views, wishes and feelings, ensuring that children are central to decisions about their care and future plans. This helps children to feel listened to, valued and supported during times of change, reducing anxiety and promoting positive endings and new beginnings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive and trusting relationships with children, as well as with children’s families and the professional’s supporting them. Children say that they can talk to staff if worried and these trusting relationships help children develop confidence and build resilience. One child’s social worker said, ‘through the consistent and collaborative efforts of the staff and partner agencies, [child’s name] has learned to see life differently and think more positively about their future’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to spend time with people who are important to them. Family members and friends are welcomed into the home, and staff build positive relationships with them. This approach helps children to maintain meaningful connections with those who matter most. As a result, children feel more settled and secure, and parents are reassured that their children are being well cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff place a strong emphasis on the importance of education. When children arrive, staff work hard to ensure that they have access to schools that can meet their needs. When there are gaps in suitable settings being identified, this is escalated by the manager and children are supported to access education at home. This helps children to remain engaged in learning. As a result, children continue to make progress and develop positive attitudes towards education, helping to prepare them to return to, or start school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s independence skills are well supported, assessed and regularly reviewed. Staff identify areas where children have made progress and where further support is needed. This is addressed through meaningful keywork sessions, encouraging positive routines and providing consistent care. This support helps children to gain confidence in managing daily tasks, making decisions and taking increasing responsibility for themselves. As a result, children develop the practical and emotional skills they need to prepare for adulthood.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children go missing from the home, staff respond promptly and proactively. Missing-from-home protocols are followed, and a coordinated multi-agency response is implemented. The home’s missing-from-home protocols are detailed and thorough. Inspection report children’s home: 2745618 3 When children return home, they are welcomed warmly and supported to reflect on their experiences through one-to-one sessions. This helps staff to understand the reasons behind children going missing and to update risk assessments effectively. As a result, children feel cared for and valued, promoting their safety and well-being.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager and staff know the children well. Behaviour support plans are detailed, individualised and demonstrate a thorough understanding of each child’s needs, lived experiences and stages of development. Physical intervention is only used as a last resort. When it is required, children are supported to reflect on what has happened and staff demonstrate insight and learning to improve future responses when able. As a result, children experience a consistent and nurturing approach to behaviour management, and for one child this has led to the use of physical intervention significantly.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager’s recruitment processes are robust, with all necessary checks being completed. This helps to ensure that staff employed at the home are suitable to work with children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s vulnerabilities and associated risks are clearly assessed and understood, particularly when concerns arise about their relationships and behaviours towards each other. Risk assessments are reviewed and safety plans put in place alongside a coordinated multi-agency response. However, when concerns have arisen, staff have not always followed safety plans consistently which has contributed to further incidents that might have been prevented. Managers have acted swiftly to address these shortfalls, ensuring that learning and reflection takes place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is organised, child-focused and has high expectations for both the children and the quality of care provided by staff. She is well supported by an assistant manager and senior leadership team whose skills and expertise complement each other to provide strong leadership and oversight. As a result, children benefit from a stable, well-led environment, where staff are supported to provide high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from a consistent and stable staff team. Staff say that they are happy they are working at the home, citing high morale and a strong sense of teamwork. They highlighted consistency in practice as a particular strength, reported feeling well supported by the management team and that children’s voices are always being central to their practice. One staff member said [name of the home] has truly become a second home, I am proud and happy to be here’. As a result of a stable team, children experience continuity in their care and build secure trusting relationships with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from training that is tailored to the individual needs of the children. They receive regular supervisions, participate in reflective team meetings and have access to clinical support. This enables them to consider their practice alongside the needs of the Inspection report children’s home: 2745618 4 children. One senior staff member said, ‘supervisions have played a vital role in my development; they have provided valuable insight and a space to express my aspirations’. As a result, staff are well supported to learn and progress, and confident and equipped to meet the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has robust monitoring systems in place, which help give her effective oversight of children’s care. Managers have a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. The manager leads by example and promotes a strong learning culture, providing appropriate challenge, guidance and support to staff. This fosters a positive and reflective learning culture within the home. Furthermore, staff feel valued, supported and confident in their roles which enables them to provide stable and nurturing care. Inspection report children’s home: 2745618 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi) and (vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff always work in line with children’s agreed safety plans. 25 November 2025 Inspection report children’s home: 2745618 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 2745618 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, PO Box 15, Walsall WS1 1TP

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Inspector

Mandy Wake, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2745618 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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